This disclosure is directed to carbon composites, and in particular to carbon composites comprising expanded graphite, their methods of manufacture, and articles formed therefrom.
Elastomers are relatively soft and deformable, thus have been widely used in seals, adhesives, and molded flexible parts. Elastomers have also been used as sealing materials in downhole applications. However, as oil and gas production activities continue to shift toward more hostile and unconventional environments, the performance of elastomers becomes less than satisfactory as they are susceptible to decomposition under harsh conditions, posing limits for heavy oil exploration.
Metals have been proposed as alternative sealing materials for downhole applications due to their high corrosion resistance and excellent high pressure and high temperature tolerance. However, metals have low ductility and low elasticity. Accordingly, metals are less effective in sealing rough casing surfaces as compared to elastomers.
Carbon materials such as flexible graphite could be one of the promising alternative sealing materials to replace elastomers or metals due to their high thermal and chemical stability, flexibility, compressibility, and conformability. However, certain carbon materials may have weak mechanical strength affecting the structural integrity of the element and tools comprising these materials.
Therefore, there remains a need in the art for sealing materials that have a good balance of properties such as stability, elasticity, and mechanical strength.